My new leopard gecko hatchling!?

Question

I have just hatched my first leo and I need answwers!

What do I do for heat?

When will he have his first shed?

When will he eat?

What if he doesnt eat?

Right now he is curled up in his hide and just laying there. Is that okay? Earlier he was runiing around like crazy.

Answer 1

Do not use an under tank heater...i cant even begin to tell you all the things that can go wrong with them and they dont do any good....all reptiles collect heat from the tops of their bodies not the bottom...those heating pads are meant to keep the bedding warm.....they are a huge fire hazard and can hurt your animal ecspecially a baby!

ok

now that i got that out...the heat should be about the same for as an adult...really what leopards need though is a night light they need something like a moon glow light..you can get them at pet stores.

Your hatchiling sounds to be doing everything normal....breaking out running around now hes resting...hes had a long day!

As for eating they may not eat the first or second day but you can offer them very small crickets....only put 2 or 3 at a time in case they dont eat them it will be easy to pull them out. As for shedding...that all really depends on how humid your tank is and how much and how often you feed and they grow.

If your gecko starts to look very pale..he or she is about to shed...mist the cage or at least their hide box at this time...and you should do it at least once a day..misting.....young leos dont usually know how to drink from a bowl..they will l**k the water off themselves or off the sides of the glass....do keep a water bowl in there though just put some cotton balls at the bottom of the bowl...this way your crickets wont drown and your leo doesnt panic the first time he steps in!

More than likely he WILL eat just be a little patient ... they still have alot of the vitamins and nutrition from the egg so he will be fine trust me! AND CONGRATULATIONS!!!!

OH and leos are shed eaters so if you think he or she is about to shed and then the next day they look normal and you dont see any skin..dont worry they ate it..and its really good for them...just check the toes for stuck skin...sometimes they have a hard time shedding around their toes and it will cut off circulation and they can lose toes...they usually heal very fast from this but still..just check!

Answer 2

A heat mat should be provided for your leo, a heat lamp placed on the same side would also be ideal.

He should have his first shed in about a week, it's not likely that your will witness this shed or even know he has shed because the gecko will eat his own shed skin. The only indication will be a small stool produced by the gecko.

You may feed him his first meal after day 3, they're very keen to start feeding. You can feed him 2nd instar crickets and hatchling locusts.

If he does not eat (which isn't likely) It may be because he is nervous, leave the room with insects in the enclosure, come back in an hour and count how may are missing if any. If he still isn't eating the temps and set up may need adjusting. If a considerable length of time passes and still refuses to eat, force feeding may be necessary, though this should only ever be a last resort.

Your gecko has just got over the initail realisation that it's in the real world, and feels that it's no longer in possible danger, he'll hide for a while, it's perfectly normal.

Answer 3

Heat is the same for adult...an under tank heat mat set to 88-91F.  He will shed after he starts to eat and grow..usually within a couple of weeks.  He should begin eating within a few days.  Only use very small gutloaded crickets and mealworms.  If temps are good, he'll eat.  Don't forget to provide him with a humid hide like you do for adults to assist with shedding.

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